Alex Kerfoot – Joe Thornton – Jimmy Vesey
When the news broke of the Jimmy Vesey to Toronto signing, some people were perplexed by the move. For one, it is only a $900,000, one-year deal and with the deep pockets of MLSE, the Leafs have a ton of those deals to go around.
But secondly, and more importantly, Vesey is quite adept at doing the one thing that helps you win games: score goals. In his first three years with the Rangers, Vesey averaged just under 17 goals a season. If he is coming here to take the vacant 3RW position, Vesey will be looking to replace the offense lost with Kapanen traded. (stats; hockey-reference).
That task should not be too difficult as Kapanen only registered 13 goals last year. Vesey should easily be able to hit that marker and he will be doing so at $2.3 million less than Kapanen costs. At 6”3’, 200 lbs, Vesey will also be a physical presence out there for Toronto Maple Leafs, something Dubas looked to add this offseason.
The other thing that bodes well for him is from 2013-14 until the 2015-16 season, Vesey and Kerfoot were linemates playing together at Harvard University. In that time, Vesey totaled 126 points in 101 games where the Boston native become one of the most highly touted college free agents.
Keefe may look to reunite the former teammates on a line together, this time with the Leafs, in the hope both can unlock each others’ A-class game.